Marathon release date – What you need to know about Bungie’s dark sci-fi extraction shooter

Based on a trilogy of games of the same name developed by Bungie back in the mid-90s, Marathon is the studio’s first new game in nearly a decade. Since the big reveal in 2023, the extraction shooter’s development has been a fraught affair, marked by a major delay, accusations of plagiarism, an internal structural reshuffle, and a lackluster closed alpha that left many players disappointed.

Fast forward to 2026, and we now have a confirmed release date and promises from Bungie that the studio has put in the work to respond to player feedback and flesh out Marathon into an experience worthy of its much-loved inspiration. Here’s everything you need to know about Marathon.

VideoGamer Summary

• Marathon is set to release on March 5, 2026.
• The game will launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
• Marathon is a dark sci-fi first-person extraction shooter.

Marathon release date

Marathon is scheduled to release on March 5, 2026, as announced in a pre-order trailer released in late January 2026. The game was initially expected on September 23, 2025, but after a fraught closed alpha, Bungie opted to delay the game indefinitely, resurfacing in early 2026 to confirm the new release date.

Given how close we are to March, it’s unlikely Bungie and Sony will delay the game further, but never say never, especially with Marathon’s troubled development.

Marathon gameplay and story

Marathon is billed as a first-person sci-fi PvPvE extraction shooter in the same vein as Escape From Tarkov and, more recently, the stratospherically successful Arc Raiders. You play as a Runner, a souped-up bio-cybernetic human tasked with infiltrating and scavenging a collapsed colony for loot. The game can be played solo, duo, or in trios.

The central loop is run-based: you’ll deploy onto a map set in areas like a research facility or security outpost, with the primary aim of extracting without dying. Along the way, you’ll fight PvE enemies and other runners in PvP and weather hostile environmental hazards, all while hunting down and looting body implants, core system upgrades, modable weapons, resources, and other valuables to use in future runs. 

Marathon will feature seven different classes, or Runner Shells, each a unique Prime and Tactical ability such as a grappling hook, shoulder-mounted missile launchers, an active camouflage cloak, or a tracker drone. 

The Runner Shells are: Assassin, Destroyer, Vandal, Recon, Triage, Thief, and Rook. Additionally, looted weapons and gear will allow players to fashion together unique builds with strengths and weaknesses that match specific playstyles.

As for the story, Marathon is set in 2893 on Tau Ceti IV, an abandoned colony fought over by UESC security forces and Runners. The colony was established by colonists from the ship UESC Marathon. 

An unexplained event over a century ago caused the ship to go dark, except for a few survivors who have disbanded into factions to scavenge and loot what they can to survive.

Marathon trailers

Bungie has released a slew of trailers so far, starting with the official announcement trailer back at the PlayStation Showcase in May 2023.

This was followed up by a ‘Save the Date’ trailer in April 2025, which hinted at a gameplay reveal later that month.

The third trailer is the aforementioned gameplay reveal, which offers the first meaningful look at Marathon’s moment-to-moment action.

Next up, Bungie released a meaty gameplay overview trailer to accompany the gameplay reveal above.

The next trailer came in January 2026, revealing not only pre-order details but also a March 2026 release.

Bungie followed this up with several trailers focusing on specific shells, i.e., Marathon’s playable classes.

At the February 2026 PlayStation State of Play, Bungie was back with another trailer, dubbed the launch gameplay trailer. It offers a look at the game in its launch day state, quite a far cry from its beta back in the summer of 2025. Melding cinematics with gameplay footage, it works to set the scene for the lore that will envelop each run of the extraction shooter.

Marathon platforms

The confirmed Marathon platforms are the big three – PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. No surprises there, and the three platforms will support cross-play and cross-save, letting PC and console players play together unhindered. Interestingly, although Marathon is now a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, the extraction shooter isn’t a PS5 console exclusive.

As for a Nintendo Switch 2 version, it’s highly unlikely for several reasons. Firstly, though better than the original Switch, the Switch 2’s hardware may struggle to keep up with Marathon’s sleek, modern graphics. 

Secondly, the Nintendo Switch 2 is exactly known as the console of choice for those partial to competitive multiplayer games and is far more a family-focused machine, meaning Marathon attracting a large playerbase there is unlikely.

FAQs